Tarot cards are an ancient form of divination, whose origins
are shrouded by the thick fog of time. Tarot was used during
Renaissance in Italy as a popular game, and was rediscovered
by occult scholars in the 18th century, and was connected to
other forms of occultism.

What are Tarot cards?

It is an oracle that can answer questions
about the past, the present and of course the future. It is
a tool for guidance and for self-discovery and to get in touch
with one's own intuition. Tarot cards are an intermediary
between the conscious and the unconscious mind. One thing
they are not is a tool for black magic.

Essentially, Tarot is simply a set of
symbols printed on a pack of 78 cards. These cards are shuffled
and dealt, just as ordinary playing cards. The Tarot has four
suits with 10 numbered cards and four court cards in each
suit. In most Tarot decks, there are also 22 numbered Major
Arcana. While the Major Arcana are the more powerful, since
they deal with major life changes and philosophies of life,
the Minor Arcana are often more commonly used in readings
because they refer to the mundane events most questioners
ask about. They are divided into four suits.

What Can the Tarot Cards Tell You?

Tarot cards are not fortune-telling
cards; they will not tell you that a certain event is definitely
going to happen. The philosophy behind the Tarot is that all
future events are subject to change, and if you are warned
of unpleasant events in advance, you can prevent them.

Tarot cards benevolently warn that
danger lies ahead if you stay on your current course and
change nothing. You may choose to ignore this warning,
but when you pass the danger zone, you will pay quite
severely. Or you can take preventive measures and change
the course of events.

Tarot does not tell fortunes because
divulging details of an unalterable future is counter-productive.
On the contrary, it is supposed to make you think and
act. It subscribes to the view that future events can
be changed if you take note of them and act appropriately.

If they predict good times, you must
still make a conscious effort to continue doing whatever
you are doing now, or the prediction will go unfulfilled!
Tarot cards never tell you what is going to happen - they
tell you what is likely to happen, based on your present
course of action.

Tarot cards can answer questions about
the past, as well as those about the future. And they
can reveal the present as well. Often, the cards can show
the thoughts, feelings and motivations of the questioner,
and of others who are related to the question. Most relationship
spreads have positions for both partners for this reason.
If there is something that you must know in order to solve
a problem, the Tarot can and will reveal it to you. Often,
you'll find that you already knew it, but you overlooked
it or ignored it.

Tarot cards are also a wonderful source
of advice and guidance. In the hands of an expert, Tarot
cards can make a good counsellor.

They do not always tell you what you
want to know, but they do always tell what you need to
know. They do not always answer the question that you
ask, but they will always answer the question that needs
answering the most.